GOSSIP FROM ABROAD.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 197, 14 May 1908, Page 5

GOSSIP FROM ABROAD.

A woman named Carlotta Tani, living in the village of Castellina Torre, near Florenco, lias recovered the, power of speech after being dumb for forty-four years. When she was, seven . years old an old beggar-woman \called the "witch" gave her a quince. Immediately after eating it she became dumb, and in the forty-four years that have elapsed since has been able to oxpress only her most pressing necds'by sounds. Before dying the "witch" summoned 'the girl, promising a cure, but Carlotta reached :tho " witch s " hut too late. The woman, however, had prophesied Carlotta's recovery when she reached the "witch's" and this, the villagers say, occurred recently. The . publication of Norwegian census figures, showing that there are 10,000 more married women than married men in that country, has surprised some who had not previously supposed that Norway was a polygamous country. The true explanation, however, is not polygamy, but American emigration, and conclusions as to marriage being a failure should not bo rashly drawn even from that.. From India comes the following remarkable story- regarding a wedding celebrated there recently. A man who had lost two wives was about to be married to a third, when he'was told that a third marriage was very unlucky. His friends therefore advised him to marry a doll for his third wife, so that the marriago with the lady of his choice might then be regarded as his fourth wedding. The man did as ho was told. lie went through | the form of marriago with a doll then gave out that she was dead, buried her'in bridal attire with groat pomp, and proceeded to marry his fourth wife.